Riverwalk School

Special academy · All-through, ages 3 to 19 · Mixed · Nursery class · Sixth form

Part of CONSORTIUM TRUST

Mayfield Road, Bury St. Edmunds, IP33 2PD

01284 764280 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 16 July 2024
Pupils217Room for 215 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 185 in 2019, 191 in 2021, 201 in 2022, 206 in 2023, 203 in 2024, 218 in 2025, 217 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals41%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 16 July 2024.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsGood
Sixth formGood
SafeguardingEffective

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 2 April 2024 and 7 April 2025.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 87% 89%
My child feels safe at this school 83% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 77% 84%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 23 parents who had raised a concern 65% 76%
I would recommend this school to another parent 77%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

21 pupils in this year group.

0% — 59 points below the Suffolk average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 59% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 7% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 73% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 70% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 71% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 105 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 104 105

"Not published": No figure published.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

16 pupils in this year group.

100% — 7 points above the Suffolk average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 93% 92%
School sixth form 0% 39% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 5% 13%
Further education college 38% 42% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 3% 3%
Work 0% 3% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
100%100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Suffolk. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Suffolk

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Speech, language and communication needs; Autism; Physical disability; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 39.4% 48.3%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 98.8%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 1.2%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 13.3% 7.7%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 10.8% 12.6%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 34.4% 33.9%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.9 13.2 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.5% 6.4% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.28% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 8.5 6.1 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 1.8 2.2 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 23.0% 12.4%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Riverwalk School's Ofsted rating?

Riverwalk School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 16 July 2024.

Would parents recommend Riverwalk School?

77% of the 30 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 2 April 2024 and 7 April 2025 said they would recommend Riverwalk School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.